k 


I33t* 


EL  MORRO:  GRIM  GUARDIAN  OF  HAVANA  HARBOR 


IN  THE  GREATER 
ANTILLES 


A  5KELTCH  OF  OUR  CHURCH  WORK 
IN  CUBA,  PORTO  RICO  AND  HAITI 


THE,  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


281  FOURTH  AVLNUL  ::  ::  .  NE.W  YORK 


IN  THE  GREATER  ANTILLES 


CUBA 


TO  understand  the  nature  of  the  Church’s  work 
in  the  Island  of  Cuba  one  must  take  into  consider¬ 
ation  its  two  kinds  of  civilization;  that  of  Spain 
at  the  time  of  Columbus,  and  that  which  prevails  today 
in  the  most  enlightened  countries  of  the  world. 

For  nearly  four  hundred  years  Cuba  was  an  isolated 
colony  of  Spain,  its  development  stunted  by  the  Spanish 
policy  which  forbade  colonial  production  of  any  com¬ 
modities  the  mother  country  could  produce,  restricted 
to  the  single  effort  of  agriculture,  and  limited  even  in 
this  to  the  production  only  of  sugar  and  tobacco.  Later 
there  was  some  trade  with  the  United  States  across  the 
narrow  water  between  Florida  and  the  Island,  and 
possibly  wider  contact  during  the  English  occupation 
in  1762-1763.  That  year  is  notable  to  us  as  recording 
the  first  English  Church  services  held  in  Havana. 

BEGINNINGS  IN  CUBA  The  first  known  service 

-  of  the  American  Episcopal 

Church  in  Havana  was  held  by  Dr.  Mahan,  of  St.  Paul’s 
Church,  Baltimore.  Not  permitted  to  hold  a  public 
service,  he  used  a  private  room  in  one  of  the  hotels.  The 
thousands  of  foreigners  in  business  in  Cuba  were  without 
religious  privileges.  Seamen  on  vessels  visiting  the  ports 
were  uncared  for,  and  in  the  terrible  epidemics  of  disease 
once  so  prevalent  in  the  island,  thousands  were  buried 
without  religious  rites,  in  trenches  and  in  unconsecrated 
ground. 

This  was  the  situation  which  Bishop  Whipple,  the 
famous  apostle  of  the  Indians,  found  when  he  visited 
Havana  in  1871.  He  was  unable  to  hold  a  service  in  the 
city,  as  it  was  against  the  law.  An  American  man-of- 
war  was  kindly  offered  to  him,  and  here  he  celebrated 
the  Holy  Communion,  on  Sunday,  March  11,  1871.  So 
great  was  the  interest  excited  by  this  visit  that,  by  the 
bishop’s  efforts,  a  sum  of  money  was  raised  from  the 
foreigners  resident  in  Havana  for  the  support  of  a  clergy¬ 
man. 


3 


EDWARD  KENNY  Though  financial  support  was 

-  now  assured,  the  attitude  of  the 

Spanish  authorities  was  altogether  antagonistic,  nor  was 
a  cordial  welcome  to  be  looked  for  from  the  people  of 
Havana  and  the  island  generally.  It  was  hard  to  find  a 
man  willing  to  face  these  untoward  conditions.  Finally 
the  Rev.  Edward  Kenny,  a  student  of  Nashotah,  was 
secured  by  Bishop  Whipple,  and  under  the  charge  of  this 
zealous  missionary  the  work  in  Cuba  was  inaugurated. 

After  four  years  Bishop  Whipple  again  visited  the 
island  and  was  able  to  give  a  most  encouraging  account 
of  Mr.  Kenny’s  ministry.  He  had  won  his  way  and 
overcome  opposition  simply  because  of  his  apostolate 
of  mercy.  Bv  degrees  the  sphere  of  Mr.  Kenny's  labors 
was  extended  from  Havana  to  adjoining  towns;  missions, 
too,  were  established  for  the  negroes  on  sugar  plantations. 

As  the  work  in  Cuba  extended,  the  amount  locally 
contributed  in  Havana  was  no  longer  adequate  to  support 
it,  and  the  Cuban  Church  Missionary  Guild  was  founded, 
whose  purpose  was  to  care  for  the  foreigners  resident 
in  the  island,  the  seamen  who  visited  its  ports,  and  “all 
the  unbaptized  and  uncared  for.”  Because  of  its  good 
deeds,  the  mission  attracted  the  attention  of  some  of  the 
native  Cubans  and  Spanish  residents. 

Edward  Kenny  regarded  the  whole  foreign  population 
as  his  parish.  He  cared  for  the  sick  and  dying  when 
yellow  fever  made  Havana  the  most  unhealthy  city  in 
the  world.  Bishop  Knight  says,  “the  story  of  the  nine 
years  spent  by  Edward  Kenny  in  Cuba  furnishes  one  of 
the  thrilling  episodes  of  missionary  endeavor.”  Finally 
broken  in  health  and  harassed  by  lack  of  financial  sup¬ 
port  at  home,  Mr.  Kenny  was  forced  to  abandon  the 
work  and  accept  a  rectorship  in  the  United  States. 

THE  SEED  GERMINATING  This  seemed  to  be 

disaster,  final  and 
complete,  but  an  unexpected  result  followed  upon 
Cuba’s  ten  years’  war  for  independence.  Cuban  exiles 
in  the  United  States  were  attracted  by  the  ideals  and 
methods  of  a  Christianity  which  differed  greatly  from  that 
of  their  own  country.  Some  of  these,  returning,  gathered 
congregations  together.  Soon  six  organized  missions 
were  reported,  with  a  total  list  of  adherents  of  1,650, 
and  when  Bishop  Young,  of  Florida,  visited  Cuba  in 


1885,  as  many  as  325  candidates  presented  themselves 
for  confirmation. 

Bishop  Stevens  of  Pennsylvania  next  had  oversight 
of  the  Cuban  field,  and  organized  among  Churchwomen 
a  guild  for  the  maintenance  of  the  work  there,  but  aside 
from  one  station  at  Matanzas  little  of  a  permanent 
nature  was  accomplished. 

ORGANIZED  EFFORT  On  the  death  of  Bishop 

-  Stevens,  in  1887,  Bishop 

Whitaker  was  asked  by  the  Presiding  Bishop  to  take  the 
oversight  of  Cuba,  and  the  American  Church  Missionary 
Society  began  to  make  grants  and  send  missionaries. 
In  1894  the  first  church  structure  was  built  at  Matanzas 
at  a  cost  of  $800.  This  was  the  beginning  of  better 
things,  but  no  great  advance  was  possible  until  the  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain  was  concluded 
by  the  withdrawal  of  the  Spanish  garrison  and  the 
temporary  occupation  by  the  American  Army. 

The  destitution  caused  by  the  years  of  warfare  was 
universal,  and  the  primary  and  immediate  obligation 
was  to  relieve  distress.  An  orphanage  for  girls  was 
opened  in  Matanzas.  Other  philanthropic  work  on  a 
smaller  scale  was  begun  at  other  places.  In  Havana  an 
American  congregation  was  gathered.  Steady  advance 
was  made  in  all  directions,  though  much  more  would 
have  been  accomplished  if,  when  in  1901  Cuba  was  con¬ 
stituted  by  the  General  Convention  as  a  foreign  mis¬ 
sionary  district,  it  had  been  given  direct  Episcopal  over¬ 
sight.  For  some  time  uncertainty  prevailed.  The 
American  Church  Missionary  Society  decided  to  with¬ 
draw  all  its  American  representatives  from  the  island, 
and  leave  the  Cuban  missionaries,  few  in  number,  to 
carry  on  the  work.  Some  thought  that  this  program 
meant  nothing  less  than  the  entire  abandonment  of  the 
mission. 

But  the  responsibility  was  not  to  be  evaded.  People 
and  churches  in  the  United  States  felt  it  their  duty  to 
help  the  Cubans  as  much  as  possible.  They  felt  they 
should  give  their  Island  brethren  a  different  conception 
of  religion  than  that  which  had  prevailed  in  the  colony 
for  nearly  four  hundred  years.  In  this  work  of  carrying 
the  Gospel  to  the  Cubans  the  Episcopal  Church  naturally 
has  had  its  share. 


5 


THE  NEW  DAY  AND  ITS  WORK 


Such  was  the  situation  in  1904,  when  Bishop  Knight 
was  chosen  as  Bishop  of  Cuba.  Before  he  landed  in 
H  avana  he  had  secured  four  volunteers  from  the  ranks 
of  the  American  clergy,  and  with  them  a  native  Cuban. 

The  Church’s  responsibility  was  of  a  three-fold  char¬ 
acter  : 

I.  TO  IMMIGRANTS  Out  of  the  flux  of  interior  des- 

-  titution  and  the  vigorous  new 

element  of  immigration  following  the  war,  the  Island 
stirred  from  virtual  sterility  to  rapid  development.  Its 
proximity  to  and  political  affiliation  with  the  United 
States  determined  the  American  preponderance  of  this 
new  vitalizing  force,  mixed  of  course  with  that  of  the 
allied  English-speaking  countries,  Canada  and  England. 

The  first  duty  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was,  and  is, 
plainly,  to  care  for  these  settlers.  Havana  offered  a 
natural  opportunity  as  a  trade  and  business  center,  but 
aside  from  that  city  the  greater  number  of  Americans 
settled  in  mining  and  rural  districts.  A  large  colony  of 
these  English-speaking  immigrants  settled  in  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  the  Province  of  Santiago,  and  began  to  develop 
the  enormous  iron  deposits  there.  They  are  largely  men 
of  education,  seeking  the  most  promising  fields  for  their 
careers  as  mining  engineers,  chemists,  and  so  on.  Sepa¬ 
rated  from  home  ties  and  associations,  their  work  their 
only  vital  interest,  they  found  themselves  surrounded 
by  an  alien  civilization,  in  its  transition  from  old  to  new 
ideas  and  ideals,  creating  an  environment  the  tendency 
of  which  is  to  drag  such  men  down.  The  presence  of  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church,  even  though  his  visits  be  but 
infrequent,  has  a  beneficial  effect  far  beyond  what 
people  at  home  can  realize.  It  is  a  touch  of  home, 
stirring  memories  of  associations  and  habits  that  have  a 
certain  sustaining  power. 

The  sugar  estates  command  another  large  class  of 
Americans,  for  Cuba  supplies  more  than  half  of  the 
sugar  consumed  in  the  United  States.  This  industry  is 
gradually  getting  into  the  hands  of  Americans.  A  certain 
amount  of  skilled  American  labor  is  employed  and  the 
men,  and  sometimes  their  families  with  them,  live  near 


THE  RIGHT  REV.  ALBION  W.  KNIGHT.  D.D. 

the  mills,  separated  from  all  contact  with  the  world 
they  have  left.  For  many  months  in  the  year  their 
whole  life  is  their  absorption  in  the  great  mills  which 
run  twenty-four  hours  a  day  and  seven  days  a  week. 
Even  the  occasional  presence  of  a  clergyman  of  the 
Church,  who  can  shake  them  by  the  hand,  and  make 
them  feel  that  they  are  not  forgotten,  does  untold  good. 

A  third  class  of  Americans  bought  land  for  fruit  farms, 
especially  for  citrus  fruits,  both  in  Cuba  and  in  the  Isle 
of  Pines.  Here  in  these  colonies  is  found  the  family 
life  so  seldom  seen  in  the  mining  and  sugar  districts. 
This  man  is  a  real  pioneer.  With  wife  and  children  he 
has  left  home  seeking,  in  this  new  and  strange  country, 
to  better  his  condition.  Such  persons  find  themselves 
isolated  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  very  different  moral 
and  religious  ideals.  They  need  counsel  and  help,  there- 

7 


fore  the  Church  must  follow  them  and  see  to  it  that  they 
are  not  lost  in  or  absorbed  by  their  new  surroundings. 
For  this  it  is  necessary  that  we  have  a  resident  clergy¬ 
man,  a  church,  and  schools  for  the  children. 

In  Cuba  the  public  school  is  taught  in  Spanish,  by 
Cuban  teachers,  and  the  children  naturally  learn  to 
think  in  Spanish,  and  according  to  Spanish  modes.  The 
Church  must  maintain  American  schools  among  these 
people  because,  first  of  all,  they  have  no  money.  Their 
whole  modest  capital  is  in  grape-fruit  and  orange  groves 
which  must  begin  to  produce  before  their  owners  can 
support  the  better  things  of  life.  Furthermore,  an 
organization  like  the  Church  can  far  better  assume  the 
responsibility,  and  can  conduct  the  schools  with  less 
friction  than  could  these  people,  among  whom  communal 
interest  has  yet  to  be  developed. 

BISHOP  KNIGHT  AND  HIS  HELPERS  Into  these 

-  conditions 

of  adjusting  old  and  new  forces  Bishop  Knight  and  his 
volunteers  entered,  and  began  their  work  by  holding  a 
conference  in  Havana  in  January,  1905,  when  they  drew 
up  the  following  program:  “To  seek  out  the  American 
and  English  residents,  to  shepherd  the  shepherdless  of 
whatever  nationality,  to  provoke  to  good  works  the  old 
Church  in  the  island  and  the  different  missionary  organi¬ 
zations  at  work  in  Cuba,  to  teach  Christianity  as  this 
Church  has  received  it,  without  rancour  to  others,  and 
without  apology  for  our  mission.” 

The  response  was  immediate;  many  communities  in 
the  island  petitioned  to  have  the  Episcopal  Church  estab¬ 
lished  among  them.  The  bishop  determined  to  give  pre¬ 
cedence  to  the  claims  of  the  English-speaking  residents; 
for,  as  lie  says,  “without  the  force  of  example  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish-speaking  people  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  as  these 
English-speaking  people  understood  it,  would  lose  much 
of  its  influence  on  the  lives  of  the  native  people.” 

With  this  plan  in  mind,  it  might  be  asked,  “What  has 
the  Church  done  for  Americans  in  Cuba?”  In  addition 
to  Holy  Trinity  Cathedral  in  Havana,  where  the  services 
in  English  are  the  main  services  of  the  Church,  there  is 
in  La  Gloria,  where  there  is  an  American  colony  of 
several  hundred  families,  a  church  building,  a  rectory, 
and  a  resident  clergyman;  also,  for  the  American  people 


resident  in  this  colony,  the  Church  has  been  conducting 
a  school;  services  have  been  regularly  maintained  for 
American  settlers  at  Bartle;  on  the  Isle  of  Pines  are 
seven  mission  stations  with  three  church  buildings,  one 
rectory,  and  two  resident  clergymen;  in  Havana,  there 
is  a  Cathedral  school  for  girls  and  a  Cathedral  school  for 
boys  which  have  been  patronized  very  extensively  by 
Americans.  They  were  started  originally  for  American 
children.  Services  for  Americans  are  conducted  at 
Guantanamo  City  and  Guantanamo  Naval  Station;  at 
the  mining  camps  of  Firmeza  and  Felton;  at  Paso  Estan- 
cia,  and  the  sugar  estates  of  Constancia,  Preston,  Banes 
and  Ensenada  de  Mora. 

II.  THE  ENGLISH-  The  second  division  of  “the 
SPEAKING  NEGRO  day’s  work’’  is  that  which  deals 

- -  with  the  negro  laborer  who 

comes  from  the  British  West  Indies.  The  supply  of 
operatives  in  Cuba  is  far  too  small,  while  in  the  other 
West  Indian  Islands  they  have  more  than  they  need. 
As  a  result,  the  negroes  come  to  Cuba  in  considerable 
numbers.  Among  them  are  many  who  are  already 
members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  or  rather  of  the 
mother  Church  of  England. 

The  care  of  these  people,  who  are  essentially  religious 
and  most  loyal  in  their  Church  affiliations,  throws  a  cer¬ 
tain  burden  upon  us.  We  cannot  say  to  the  Church  of 
England,  “This  is  your  work,  come  and  do  it,’’  because 
the  two  Churches  do  not  exercise  jurisdiction  within  the 
same  territory.  These  blacks,  having  moved  into  Amer¬ 
ican  jurisdiction,  must  receive  the  care  of  the  Church. 

What  is  being  done  for  them  ?  At  Guantanamo  services 
are  regularly  maintained  for  the  black  Jamaicans,  in  a 
beautiful  church  building,  for  which  there  is  a  resident 
priest;  in  Santiago  services  are  conducted  regularly;  at 
Ensenada  de  Mora  also  is  a  resident  priest  and  a  fine 
church  building;  at  Banes,  at  Preston,  at  Felton  and  in 
Havana,  services  are  held  regularly  for  the  large  English- 
speaking  negro  element.  In  Guantanamo  there  is  also  a 
school  under  the  fostering  care  of  our  Church. 

III.  THE  NATIVE  CUBAN  The  third  element  with 

-  which  the  Church  has 

to  deal  is  the  native  population  of  the  island.  In  con- 


9 


ducting  work  among  them,  no  attempt  is  made  to  prose¬ 
lytize.  One  often  hears  the  question  asked,  “Why  is 
it  necessary  to  send  missionaries  to  a  country  like  Cuba, 
which  has  been  nominally  Christian  for  four  hundred 
years,  and  has  been  under  the  care  of  an  ancient  church?  ” 
There  are  two  answers:  (a)  A  large  proportion  of  the  popu¬ 
lation  of  Cuba  is  shepherdless;  there  has  been  a  real  lack 
of  interest  and  religious  fervor  among  both  priests  and 
people.  It  is  but  a  natural  result  of  the  circumstances 
that  have  obtained  in  Cuba.  The  priests  have  not  been 
dependent  upon  the  people  for  their  living,  and  the 
people  therefore,  not  having  been  under  the  necessity  of 
supporting  their  religion  (except  in  a  direct  payment 
for  certain  acts  performed  for  them),  have  lost  interest. 
It  is  the  old  story  of  people  not  caring  for  things  which 
have  cost  them  nothing.  (6)  It  is  practically  impossible 
for  the  old  Church,  with  which  they  have  been  dealing 
in  the  past,  to  revive  their  interest  in  spiritual  and 
religious  things;  whereas  another  Church  coming  in  and 
representing  Christianity  from  a  different  point  of  view, 
excites  their  interest,  and  frequently  brings  them  back 
into  the  fold  of  Christ. 

The  work  therefore  of  the  Episcopal  Church  among 
these  people  is  to  gather  together,  as  far  as  possible, 
those  who  may  come  to  it  as  a  result  of  the  excitement 
which  has  renewed  their  interest  in  religious  matters, 
and  also  to  create  such  an  atmosphere  as  will  help  the 
old  Church  in  the  Island  to  do  its  work  more  efficiently 
and  faithfully.  What  the  Episcopal  Church  has  done 
among  the  native  people  has  come  as  a  direct  effect  of 
the  work  undertaken  for  the  foreign  element  resident  in 
the  island.  The  natives  have  witnessed  the  form  of 
service  and  the  character  and  nature  of  the  Church’s 
polity,  and  having  seen  these  things,  have  themselves, 
in  many  places,  called  for  the  Church’s  ministrations. 
In  response  to  such  calls  the  Church  has  developed  a 
work  which  spreads  over  the  whole  Island.  That 
there  is  nothing  exotic  in  the  Church  in  Cuba  is  proved 
by  the  advance  in  financial  support.  In  this  respect 
there  has  been  a  record  growth;  the  value  of  church 
property  has  doubled  in  the  last  five  years,  and  the 
appropriation  of  the  Board  of  Missions  is  less  than  the 
amount  raised  in  Cuba  itself  for  the  support  of  the  work. 


10 


SOME  RESULTS  In  nine  years’  time  the  Church 

-  work  has  grown  from  6  stations  to 

50  congregations.  The  communicant  list  has  increased 
from  200  to  more  than  1700,  and  the  children  in  the 
Sunday  Schools  from  75  to  over  1300.  In  the  parochial 
schools  the  pupils  have  increased  from  75  to  over  800. 

The  clergy  list  of  eight  years  ago  showed  only  two 
clergymen  resident  in  the  Island  of  Cuba;  there  are  now  24. 

As  to  material  gains,  nine  years  ago  there  were  two 
Church  buildings,  one  parish  house  and  one  rectory.  At 
the  present  time  there  are  twelve  church  buildings  and 
five  parish  houses  and  rectories.  The  total  property 
values  have  increased  from  $12,000  to  $181,000.  The 
contribution  to  the  support  of  the  work,  raised  within 
the  island  itself,  has  mounted  in  the  three  years  since 
the  General  Convention  of  1910  to  approximately 
$100,000,  while  nine  years  ago  the  work  was  not  con¬ 
tributing  for  its  own  support  more  than  $1,000  a  year. 
These  are  evidences  of  a  growth  which  indicate  great 
possibilities,  and  also  the  great  need  for  such  work  as 
the  Episcopal  Church  can  do.  Wherever  large  results 
such  as  these  are  seen,  one  can  be  sure  that  a  great 
demand  has  existed,  and  still  exists. 

At  present  the  number  of  communicants  and  of  clergy 
among  the  English-speaking  people  and  the  Spanish¬ 
speaking  people  is  about  balanced.  But  the  largest 
ratio  of  growth  is  with  the  native  Cuban  element.  In 
a  few  years  the  native  Church  will  probably  greatly 
preponderate  in  numbers. 

And  this  native  Church  will  need,  for  a  long  period 
of  time,  the  financial  aid  of  the  Church  in  the  United 
States.  Those  who  are  being  reached  belong  usually  to 
the  poorer  class.  All  movements  in  the  nature  of  revolu¬ 
tions  or  reformations  begin  from  the  bottom,  never  from 
the  top;  those  on  top  are  naturally  contented  with  their 
condition  and  the  circumstances  which  placed  them  there. 

In  the  autumn  of  1913  Bishop  Knight  presented  his 
resignation,  to  become  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  Univer¬ 
sity  of  the  South,  at  Sewanee,  Tennessee.  At  the  General 
Convention  of  that  year  two  elections  failed  to  secure  an 
acceptance  of  the  bishopric  of  Cuba.  At  the  present 
time,  therefore,  Bishop  Knight  continues  to  administer 
the  field. 


u 


PORTO  RICO 


The  Island  of  Porto  Rico  came  into  the  missionary 
field  of  the  Church  after  its  annexation  by  the  United 
States  in  1899.  About  three-quarters  the  size  of 
Connecticut,  it  has  the  same  population.  The  inhabi¬ 
tants,  like  those  of  the  other  West  Indian  Islands, 
are  a  mixture  racially. 

In  Spanish  days  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  was 
established.  Today  all  the  religions  are  free  in  the 
island.  Nominally  the  entire  population  was  Roman 
Catholic,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  great  numbers  of 
people  have  no  religion  whatever.  The  poorer  people 
are  glad  to  receive  the  Church’s  ministrations.  They 
come  in  great  numbers  to  hear  any  one  who  can  preach 
to  them  in  their  own  language,  and  are  eager  to  have 
their  children  attend  Church  schools. 

During  the  administration  of  Bishop  Van  Buren 
thirteen  missions  were  established  in  the  principal 
centers,  among  them  St.  John  the  Baptist,  in  San 
Juan.  One  of  the 
most  interesting 
church  buildings  on 
the  island  is  Holy 
Trinity,  Ponce,  the 
oldest  n  o  n  -  R  o  m  a  n 
church  building  in 
the  Spanish  posses¬ 
sions.  Constructed 
originally  for  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Church 
of  England,  it  was 
taken  over  by  the 
American  Church 
after  the  Spaniards 
left  the  island. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Bishop  Van  Buren  a  hospital 
was  built  in  Ponce,  and  also  an  episcopal  residence  at 
San  Juan. 

The  hospital,  after  being  closed  for  a  year,  was  reopened 
in  February,  1913,  It  is  well  located,  well  built  and  thor¬ 
oughly  equipped,  with  a  house  provided  by  friends  for 
the  physician-in-charge. 


12 


After  ten  years’  service  in  Porto  Rico  Bishop  Van 
Buren  tendered  his  resignation  on  account  of  ill  health, 
April,  1912.  Bishop  Knight  of  Cuba  temporarily  admin¬ 
istered  the  work  in  Porto  Rico  till  another  election 
could  be  made. 

At  the  General  Convention  in  New  York  in  October, 
1913,  Rev.  Charles  B.  Colmore  accepted  the  bishopric 
of  Porto  Rico.  He  was  consecrated  in  Sewanee,  Ten¬ 
nessee,  Dec.  17,  and  sailed  to  his  new  field  in  January. 

The  Church  should  make  a  worthy  effort  to  minister 
both  to  the  American  residents  of  the  island  and  to 
those  of  the  Spanish-speaking  population  who  are 
attracted  to  her  services  and  are  impressed  by  her 
religious  ideals. 


13 


The  small  area  with  its  dense  population  affords 
good  opportunity  for  systematic  evangelistic  work. 
Our  clergy  are  few,  and  those  who  do  successful  work 
among  Porto  Ricans  must  be  able  to  speak  their  tongue. 
A  native  ministry  is  best  for  the  native  missions,  but 
it  should  have  the  balancing  influence  of  clergy  from  the 
United  States  who  realize  the  genius  of  the  Church. 


A  TYPICAL  COUNTRY  SCENE  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


HAITI 

Haiti,  once  a  prosperous  French  colony  worked  by 
slave  labor,  won  its  independence  during  the  Napo¬ 
leonic  period.  Since  that  time  it  has  had  a  troubled 
history,  and,  like  the  rest  of  the  West  Indian  islands, 
has  suffered  from  economic  changes. 

Because  of  its  agricultural,  mineral  and  forest 
wealth,  stronger  nations  are  eager  to  exploit  the 
resources  of  this  island.  The  population,  which  is 
almost  entirely  of  Negro  blood,  must  be  enabled  to 
secure  the  advantages  of  the  progressive  world  which 
surrounds  them,  but  as  yet  only  touches  them  in 
material  ways.  The  Haitians,  if  left  to  themselves, 
tend  to  revert  to  a  savage  condition.  Religion  and 
education  are  the  two  plainly  defined  ways  of  help. 
They  offer  also  a  proof  that  the  foreigner  does  not  wish 
to  drive  him  from  his  home. 

An  American  Negro  clergyman,  James  Theodore 
Holly,  went  to  Haiti  in  1801  with  a  colony  of  111 
persons,  and  soon  a  missionary  organization  was 


14 


effected.  Not  long  afterward  Dr.  Holly  was  elected 
Bishop  and  consecrated  in  New  York  after  a  covenant 
had  been  made  which  placed  the  Haitian  church  under 
the  Board  of  Missions,  which  supported  it  as  “an 
independent  national  Church,”  though  it  never  became 
independent  in  any  true  sense.  In  January,  1912,  after 
the  death  of  Bishop  Holly,  the  national  convocation 
of  that  Church  voted  to  relinquish  its  claim  to  inde¬ 
pendent  government  and  asked  to  be  received  as  a 
missionary  district  of  the  American  Church.  This 
was  done  by  the  General  Convention  of  1913,  and  Bishop 
Colmore,  of  Porto  Rico,  was  given  charge  of  Haiti. 

At  present  there  are  12  clergy  and  29  organized 
parishes,  missions  and  stations  in  Haiti. 

The  Church  work  in  country  districts  is  in  better 
condition  than  in  the  cities.  The  people  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  and  farms  are  more  responsive  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Church,  in  spite  of  the  prevalence  of  all  forms  of 
superstitions  and  the  presence  of  certain  African  cults. 
Vigorous,  well-planned  work  in  these  districts  would 
effect  wide  and  lasting  results. 

The  first  need  is  for  schools,  particularly  of  an  indus¬ 
trial  and  agricultural  character.  Only  thorough  educa¬ 
tion  and  practical  training  in  industrial  work  can  bring 
about  the  development  of  national  resourcefulness  and 
steadiness  necessary  to  their  independence. 

We  have  no  schools  in  Haiti.  The  Roman  Church 
has  a  few.  The  Government  schools  are  inadequate 
and  inefficient.  Schools,  rather  than  more  mission 
stations,  are  the  immediate  need.  These,  and  a  church 
and  a  resident  clergyman  for  Port  au  Prince,  are  urgently 
demanded  by  existing  conditions. 


PRAYER  FOR  THE  CHURCH  IN  CUBA,  PORTO 
RICO  AND  HAITI 


A  LMIGHTY  God,  on  whom  the  Isles  do  wait,  we  pray 
Thee  bless  the  good  endeavors  of  those  who  strive  to 
propagate  Thy  truth,  and  prepare  the  hearts  of  all  men  to 
receive  it.  Give  Christian  people  everywhere  a  ready  will  to 
support  all  good  works  undertaken  in  Thy  Name,  that  the 
sorrow  of  the  world  may  be  lightened  and  the  bounds  of  Thy 
Kingdom  enlarged,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 


15 


SUMMARY 

The  Missionary  District  of  Cuba  includes  the  Island 
of  Cuba  and  the  Isle  of  Pines.  It  has  an  area  of  4700 
square  miles  and  a  population  of  2,200,000.  For  the 
support  of  the  work,  including  the  salary  and  travel¬ 
ing  expenses  of  the  bishop,  the  Board  appropriates 
$46,114  yearly.  This  appropriation  aids  in  main¬ 
taining  forty-eight  stations.  Since  1904  Cuba  has 
been  under  the  charge  of  the  Right  Rev.  Albion 
Williamson  Knight,  D.D.'  In  1913  he  resigned  to 
become  the  head  of  the  University  of  the  South. 
Pending  the  election  of  a  Bishop  for  Cuba,  Bishop 
Knight  has  consented  to  remain  in  charge. 

The  Missionary  District  of  Porto  Rico  includes  the 
island  of  that  name  and  adjacent  islands.  It  has  an 
area  of  3550  square  miles  and  a  population  of  1,118,012. 
For  the  support  of  the  work  the  Board  appropriates 
$24,367  yearly,  including  the  traveling,  expenses  of 
the  bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  B.  Colmore,  and  the 
retiring  allowance  of  Bishop  Van  Buren.  Work  is 
maintained  at  thirteen  stations. 

The  Missionary  District  of  Haiti  includes  the  Re¬ 
public  of  Haiti.  It  has  an  area  of  10,204  square  miles 
and  a  population  of  1,118,012.  For  the  work  in  Haiti, 
including  the  traveling  expenses  of  Bishop  Colmore, 
who  has  oversight  of  Haiti,  the  Board  appropriates 
$7,803  yearly.  This  maintains  work  in  twenty-two 
stations. 


This  pamphlet  may  be  obtained  from  the  Literature  Department,  Board  of  Missions, 
SSI  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York.  Ask  for  No.  500, 

All  offerings  for  missions  should  be  sent  to  Mr.  George  Gordon  King,  Treasurer, 
Church  Missions  House,  S81  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York. 


2  Ed.,  2-14.  10 M.  R.  P. 


